Video: Ariel Sharon dies at 85

posted at 11:31 am on January 11, 2014 by Ed Morrissey

After eight years in a deep coma following a 2006 stroke, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon died today at age 85. Always controversial, the author of both military victories and misadventures, of the settlements and of the Gaza withdrawal had suffered a second and major stroke just a few weeks after a first minor one, and shortly before he was to lead a new political party to power. Ever since, Israel has waited to see when his body would finally surrender, something Sharon rarely did in any other context:

As a soldier, defense minister and prime minister, Mr. Sharon fought or commanded forces in every one of Israel’s military conflicts for more than half a century, beginning with its 1948 independence war, and was author of the ill-fated 1982 invasion of Lebanon. As a politician, he built the infrastructure of the country’s controversial settlement campaign in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, then stunned friend and foe alike by dismantling part of the project he had long championed.

Through it all, Mr. Sharon commanded center stage, insisting at times that he alone knew what was best for the state of Israel and persevering over six decades to finally emerge as prime minister in 2001, after countless humiliations that would have long killed off the careers of less determined men. At the time of his stroke in January 2006, he was in the process of seeking to extend his time in office by forging a new centrist political movement based upon his personal popularity.

The man who chose the title “Warrior” for his autobiography was for much of his career the darling of the Israeli right, which chanted “Arik, King of Israel!” invoking his nickname and comparing him to the legendary biblical King David.

For decades, he used that support to undermine governments of both the rival Labor and his own Likud parties and advance his personal political agenda. But in later years, as he first organized Israel’s withdrawal of Jewish settlements from Gaza and made plans for pullbacks from parts of the West Bank, the right denounced him as a traitor.

The more dovish left, which had long feared and despised him, had begun to reevaluate his motives and policies and accord him a grudging respect. Meanwhile, for moderates on both sides of Israel’s bitter political divide, wary and exhausted after years of conflict and false dawns, Mr. Sharon came to embody the country’s eternal quest for security. While he did not always share their hopes, he understood and spoke to their fears.

Critics said Mr. Sharon suffered from a Napoleon complex and consciously encouraged a cult of personality that posed a threat to democracy. He insisted that he had never wavered from his primary principle of unswerving devotion to the state and to the Jewish people. But he said he had come to recognize that the view from the prime minister’s office was like the verse of a popular Israeli song: There are “some things you can see from here [that] you can’t see from there.”

CNN has two relatively lengthy but worthwhile retrospectives on Sharon and the controversies that surrounded his careers in the military and in politics:

Few world leaders manage to make it through a career without furious debates over their legacy, and Sharon will be the center of more debate (and fury) than most. In a sense, though, those debates over hard-liner positions in Israel didn’t sit in stasis with Sharon while he remained on life support, but instead transferred to Benjamin Netanyahu, who has followed Sharon’s path in large part (although not entirely) in his political absence.

The remarkable realization about Sharon’s passing is that not much has been resolved in the eight years that he’s been off the stage, and the nine-plus years since the death of Yasser Arafat. Despite Sharon’s gamble in pulling out of Gaza and dismantling the settlements, the situation there has grown substantially worse, and the settlement building in the West Bank makes the security considerations for Israel even more complicated. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority still vie for power, and while the wall has stopped the suicide bombers, it remains a blight on the political and natural landscape — a constant reminder of the stalled war between all sides, and an economic disaster for Palestinians regardless of its arguable value in other contexts. None of the issues that Sharon’s stroke left unresolved have moved much in any direction ever since. Would things have improved had Sharon been healthy for the last eight years, or would it have stalled anyway?

Blowback

Trackbacks/Pings

Comments

a constant reminder of the stalled war between all sides, and an economic disaster for Palestinians regardless of its arguable value in other contexts. None of the issues that Sharon’s stroke left unresolved have moved much in any direction ever since.

The disaster that has befallen the Palestinians is entirely of their own making…and that of their enablers in the west, including the US. Nothing will change as long as they continue along the path they are on, regardless of who is in power in Israel.

Would things have improved had Sharon been healthy for the last eight years, or would it have stalled anyway?

Eight years in the history of conflict in the middle east is not even a blink of an eye.

Despite Sharon’s gamble in pulling out of Gaza and dismantling the settlements, the situation there has grown substantially worse, and the settlement building in the West Bank makes the security considerations for Israel even more complicated.

Despite Sharon’s gamble in pulling out of Gaza and dismantling the settlements, the situation there has grown substantially worse, and the settlement building in the West Bank makes the security considerations for Israel even more complicated.

I would argue that the bulk of settlements in the West Bank improve the security considerations for Israel, because the vast majority of them are situated on strategic hills overlooking West Jerusalem. West Jerusalem was subject to artillery barrages from many of these same locations by the Jordanian army during the Six Day War. Rendering them unusable for attacks on Israel is good for security.

Adding apartments within these settlements, as virtually all the building since Sharon’s stroke has done, is at worst neutral for security.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority still vie for power, and while the wall has stopped the suicide bombers, it remains a blight on the political and natural landscape — a constant reminder of the stalled war between all sides, and an economic disaster for Palestinians regardless of its arguable value in other contexts.

This is disturbing phrasing, weighing dead Israelis against Palestinian economic prosperity and apparently considering the latter to be more important.

Meh …
Sharon was a bona fide War Criminal. He even went so far as to admit his transgressions once upon a time. Being Jewish, he wouldn’t know about the cleansing act of The Confessional. Too bad for him! *chuckle*See you in Hades, Fat Boy.
~(Ä)~

I read his autobiography. I don’t usually do that because I find them self-serving. But it was fascinating. His life was, to say the least, interesting. I was in Israel when he was PM – people definitely had extreme opinions of him.

I was wondering a couple weeks ago how much longer he would be alive. Being in a coma for so long, wow…..

Meh …
Sharon was a bona fide War Criminal. He even went so far as to admit his transgressions once upon a time. Being Jewish, he wouldn’t know about the cleansing act of The Confessional. Too bad for him! *chuckle*
See you in Hades, Fat Boy.
~(Ä)~ – Karl Magnus on January 11, 2014 at 11:51 AM

Waiting to see Charles Johnson’s post on this. I’m expecting something along the lines of Ariel Sharon was a “complicated figure” followed up with some bannings and Johnson claiming to have never supported him.

Waiting to see Charles Johnson’s post on this. I’m expecting something along the lines of Ariel Sharon was a “complicated figure” followed up with some bannings and Johnson claiming to have never supported him. – eh on January 11, 2014 at 12:54 PM

I would argue that the bulk of settlements in the West Bank improve the security considerations for Israel, because the vast majority of them are situated on strategic hills overlooking West Jerusalem. West Jerusalem was subject to artillery barrages from many of these same locations by the Jordanian army during the Six Day War. Rendering them unusable for attacks on Israel is good for security.

Adding apartments within these settlements, as virtually all the building since Sharon’s stroke has done, is at worst neutral for security.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority still vie for power, and while the wall has stopped the suicide bombers, it remains a blight on the political and natural landscape — a constant reminder of the stalled war between all sides, and an economic disaster for Palestinians regardless of its arguable value in other contexts.

This is disturbing phrasing, weighing dead Israelis against Palestinian economic prosperity and apparently considering the latter to be more important.

I always thought that it was unnecessary to worship Jesus because even after death you would find yourself in Purgatory if you lived a decent life. This is where eventually you’d get into Heaven by acknowledging the Christian deity.

Otherwise everyone born before Jesus or on the other side of the world to parents of other faiths would go to hell.

What’s weird is that the evangelical Christians who revere him believe he isn’t going to Heaven. For once, I agree with them.
libfreeordie on January 11, 2014 at 12:48 PM

No, what’s weird is you seem to think you know where Sharon was going when no Christian would make such a claim. IN the end, there are two who know where he is, God and Sharon. We have no idea if he accepted Christ or not. There are quite a few Israelis that have, and I can make no claim one way or the other with him.

Sharon is “personally responsible” for hundreds more deaths than can be connected to Mandela, yet those HotAirians who derided Mandela as a terrorist will genuflect before war criminal Sharon.
libfreeordie on January 11, 2014 at 12:51 PM

This as stupid as it is uninformed. Time magazine tried to pin refugee camp killings on Sharon and Sharon sued and won, although the court awarded him no damages. Frankly, only a loony, screaming leftist makes such a claim, and your rep is well known here.

Charles Johnson is a loon.
SC.Charlie on January 11, 2014 at 12:59 PM

My you are charitable. It’s far more accurate to say Johnson is an utter moron.

What’s weird is that the evangelical Christians who revere him believe he isn’t going to Heaven. For once, I agree with them.

There is no hell in Judaism. But sure, argue amongst yourselves about how he’s going to burn. We’ll just be over here, in ther corner, living as Jews and not caring what you think about us.

However, as far as Christian belief is concerned, I believe we Jews get a bye on having to accept Jesus, what with his being and Jew and all that, and our being the Chosen. Depending, of course, on which sect of Christianity you talk to. I’ve lost count of how many of you think I’m going to roast in hell. I don’t lose any sleep over it.

Ariel Sharon was far from perfect, but he was the greatest military strategist of modern day Israel, and a hero in his own right. May his memory be a blessing.

The Israeli people have been deafened and blinded toward Jesus, by the hand of G-D for his purposes. The day is coming when the scales will be removed by his hand. Israel has been and will always be the apple of G-DS eye, through them Jesus was given to the world and through them all scripture was fulfilled regarding hsi birth and death, and most important his resurrection freeing all from sin. Sharon will see and be with the LORD in the LORDS time.

while the wall has stopped the suicide bombers, it remains a blight on the political and natural landscape — a constant reminder of the stalled war between all sides, and an economic disaster for Palestinians regardless of its arguable value in other contexts.

Ed, what economic disaster? The economic disaster for Palestinians was having constant suicide attacks which resulted in war, constant closures, not being able to work in Israel. Once the situation stabilized, due to Israeli action, and peace was restored, the economic situation of the Palestinians greatly improved. In other words, the ‘wall’ improved the economic situation. It definitely did not cause a disaster.

Due to the quiet over the past decade, Israeli malls have stopped posting guards at the entrances. And tens of thousands of Palestinians cross into Israel every day to earn their living. That is not a disaster. It’s actual peace.

Sharon went into a coma shortly after my father died in early 2006. As much as I miss my father, I can’t imagine what it was like for Sharon’s family with him in a coma for those 8 years. May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Meh …
Sharon was a bona fide War Criminal. He even went so far as to admit his transgressions once upon a time. Being Jewish, he wouldn’t know about the cleansing act of The Confessional. Too bad for him! *chuckle*
See you in Hades, Fat Boy.
~(Ä)~ – Karl Magnus on January 11, 2014 at 11:51 AM

Please share the facts…seriously.

I believe Begin and some of the other Israeli officials were in terrorist groups during the British occupation, but I can’t recall that being true of Sharon.

While I presume to speak for none besides myself, among my associates Sharon’s decision to dismantle the Gaza towns, leaving thousands homeless and destitute, has undone whatever successes he may have had long ago.

My father-in-law grew up in close proximity to Gaza shortly after the 6-day war; fresh from their losses, most Arab residents has accepted the Israelis as the rulers of the land. Things were peaceful, and there was no real “border” to speak of between adjacent Jewish and Arab areas. My father-in-law regularly toured and shipped in Arab areas, even as a child.

As the self-determination of the Arab residents increased, cynical leaders leveraged a naturally violent population, agitating against the Jews just as liberals here agitate against the rich. As the years went on, with each great “victory” for the PLO, quality of life in Gaza decreased and an evermore isolated population plunged into poverty. The “Disengagement” was the culmination of years of a direct correlation between the “success” of the “resistance” and the blight of it’s alleged beneficiaries.

Sharon’s legacy for many is one of wanton destruction, turning of Jews against one another, and horrific destruction of what was a beautiful land at the lands of its suicidal leadership. While I wish the best for the man’s soul, his politics will not be missed.

Other than your wishing the best for Sharon’s soul, my sentiments exactly.

There isn’t an equivalent in English but if you can read Hebrew, here’s a record of the corrupt post-military Sharon, which in Israel people have mostly forgotten and most people abroad may never have known:

I fully agree. If Sharon wanted to, he could have avoided leading to the offensive situation he did at the time, and at his advanced age, he didn’t have to go worrying about being charged with corruption, which he sadly was guilty of. This is why I for one am not sorry to see him go, period. What he did – and allowed to happen at the time – was inexcusable and even creepy, I might add.

I notice Morrissey’s reverting to type here, taking a delegitimizing view of Israeli territory like he did years ago, and interestingly enough, the very kind of view a leftist could splutter. The same man who’s got a lenient view of Grover Norquist too, as I recall. In that case, I have to question his rightist credentials and wonder why he’d be hired to work on this website.

I can speak Loshon Hakodesh-y hebrew and fake an Israeli accent, but that kind of Ivrit is a bit above my pay grade…

“Ah, Ariel, Ariel!…”

Absolutely great article.

Avi Green on January 12, 2014 at 12:31 AM

You don’t haaaaave to be pro-Israel to be on the right. Personally, I’d love it if everyone kept themselves out of Israel’s business… they’ve been stabbed in the back enough times that I’m often left to wonder if the fleeting “friendship” of (even right-wing) allies is really worth it. Nixon, of all people, helped out in ’73, but I think they could have done without just about every interaction with the U. S. in the time since.

There is a saying in Hebrew, and it is not ironic or sarcastic (at least it wasn’t the first few decades when it was around).

It is “Arik King of Israel”. It’s got a bit of a religious tinge to it since it’s derived from “David King of Israel”.

He is so incredibly popular in Israel – even the Left have come to like him because of his 2005 actions. The only ones who dislike or even hate him to this day are the most rightwing segment in Israel.

As to the Arabs, he was a constant reminder to them of their defeats and humiliation. Fawk them. Arik, rest in peace. You’ve earned it.